# Empty groups **URL:** \ **Category:** Pro\ **Tags:** mac\ **Created:** [August 5, 2021, 6:18pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/empty-groups/171967 "2021-08-05T18:18:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![simoncbevans](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/simoncbevans/32/15904_2.png) [@simoncbevans](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/simoncbevans)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2021, 6:18pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/empty-groups/171967/1 "2021-08-05T18:18:55Z")
In the past, I have been lazy about naming Groups and Components. So if I go back to an old drawing and look at the Outliner, I often see just a bunch of Groups/Components that are generically named. If I am doing some housekeeping, I might select such a Group to see what it is and then give it a more realistic name. However, I often find that there is what looks like an empty box. I make sure I have all tags turned on and Hidden Geometry turned on, but it still looks empty. What else should I be doing to make sure it is in fact safely deletable? Here is an example: ![Screenshot 2021-08-05 at 19.14.53](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/original/3X/9/e/9eab7dde34bab5d454590c681454c069118c59f1.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![DaveR](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/daver/32/7601_2.png) [@DaveR](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/DaveR)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2021, 6:21pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/empty-groups/171967/2 "2021-08-05T18:21:05Z")
Triple click on the group in the Outliner and then look at Outliner. Does it show there’s anything selected? ---
**Author:** ![simoncbevans](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/simoncbevans/32/15904_2.png) [@simoncbevans](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/simoncbevans)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2021, 7:42am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/empty-groups/171967/3 "2021-08-06T07:42:22Z")
I found the answer by selecting the group, copy to clipboard, and pasting to a new blank file. Then the item magically appeared. Just as well I didn’t assume it was empty and deleted it before doing so! ---
**Author:** ![DaveR](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/daver/32/7601_2.png) [@DaveR](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/DaveR)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2021, 11:20am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/empty-groups/171967/4 "2021-08-06T11:20:41Z")
So why didn’t the contents show in the model where you found it? ---
**Author:** ![TIG](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/tig/32/198_2.png) [@TIG](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/TIG)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2021, 11:34am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/empty-groups/171967/5 "2021-08-06T11:34:08Z")
A group cannot be empty. SketchUp auto-garbage-collects empty groups and deletes them. It might contain objects on hidden tags/layers, or hidden geometry/objects, or ‘visibility off’ guides or guide-points, but it cannot be ‘empty’… So the contents must be there somewhere if you have everything switched on ?? The model’s data-base might have a glitch - have you tried Model Info \> Statistics \> Fix issues ? ---
**Author:** ![simoncbevans](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/simoncbevans/32/15904_2.png) [@simoncbevans](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/simoncbevans)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2021, 11:53am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/empty-groups/171967/6 "2021-08-06T11:53:26Z")
Perzackerly! Simon - from mobile ---
**Author:** ![TIG](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/tig/32/198_2.png) [@TIG](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/TIG)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2021, 11:59am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/empty-groups/171967/7 "2021-08-06T11:59:27Z")
Did you try selecting the group, Edit\>Cut and immediately Edit\>Paste-in-Place Did that jolt any sense back into the model ? What’s in the group when you fix it, out of interest ?? ---
**Author:** ![simoncbevans](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/simoncbevans/32/15904_2.png) [@simoncbevans](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/simoncbevans)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2021, 4:41pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/empty-groups/171967/8 "2021-08-06T16:41:09Z")
> [@TIG](#): > > Did you try selecting the group, Edit\>Cut and immediately Edit\>Paste-in-Place No, but I managed to solve it another way, as mentioned above. The group turned out to be a simple window but I still have no idea why that didn’t show when I first “interrogated” the system. I’m not sure I can reproduce the problem as I have now gone through and named all the Groups. > [@TIG](#): > > The model’s data-base might have a glitch - have you tried Model Info \> Statistics \> Fix issues ? I didn’t, but that is exactly the kind of advice I was after. So I will try to remember to try that if there is a next time.